20 Organizational Skills that Every Smart Leader Needs

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a moulder of consensus.

Martin Luther King Jr

Organizational skills are the must-have forte of a leader. You know, leadership is the art of stimulating people to act toward perceiving a common goal. In business, this can mean directing workers and colleagues with a strategy to meet the company’s needs. And a leader is a person who knows the way, shows the way and goes towards the track.

To become a smart leader, you must pursue organizational skills, and by following the blog, you’ll get to know 20 organizational skills that smart leaders need. So, please give it a read!

What is Organizational Skill?

So, what do we mean by organizational skills?

Well, organizational skills are skills related to creating structure and order, boosting productivity, and prioritizing tasks that must be completed immediately, versus those that can be postponed, delegated to another person, or eliminated. With these skills, you can overcome poor work habits like shilly-shallying, clutter, miscommunication, or inefficiency in the workplace.

Importance of Organizational Skills

Super organizers are easy to distinguish at business meetings: the ones who check their electronic organizer can tell you precisely what appointments they had yesterday, what assignments they have due today and what’s on tap for tomorrow. Besides, for a smart leader, it’s very crucial to adapt the organizational skills to stand out in the crowd.

To clarify, below, I’ve enlisted some essential facts regarding the importance of organizational skills.

Nurture Focus

When you know what you should spend your time doing exactly, you’re more likely to focus on that task with precision and clarity. Moreover, distractions are annoying and serve to elongate most tasks. For this reason, people with good organizational skills prefer single-tasking to multitask.

Enhance Productivity

Greater productivity lies in the proper balance of focus and prioritizing. It is as precise as a mathematical equation. With good organizational skills, you can breed your productivity.

Augment Efficiency

Since organized people have adopted many good habits, they love to work smarter. Organized business owners make the most use of time despite the size of this business.

Engender Goal Attainment

People with good organizational skills are in a much better position to attain their goals as they plan their short term and long term goals and work accordingly.

Foster Deadline Accuracy

More or less, every one of us rushes. But, the more you are organized, the less you’ll do last-minute changes or run out of time. Often, the organization means the difference between finishing a task promptly (even if it means rushing) and need a new deadline.

Freedom From Panic

When you run by the seat of your pants, you may feel that many people try to conceal from others. Technical problems such as misplaced papers, lost contact information, forgotten meeting times and missed conference calls often trigger it. Organized people can rule out these challenges to some extent as they know the troubles that can ensue. However, to be organized, it is not necessary to be neat. You can be messy and organized; similarly, you can be neat and disorganized also.

Build Professionalism

Although people are forgiving of a harried, disorganized business owner that can never seem to show up to a meeting on time with all the documentation he needs – the reality is that an organized person never has to worry about leaving a sloppy impression. The calm assured professional demeanour that he/she projects is the real deal.

Relief from Stress

An organized business person can significantly ratchet down the stress by reducing the natural stressors that accompany a disorganized, disconnected and sometimes, dysfunctional work life.

Improve Balance

Balance is not only a 50-50 proposition, but it may differ in proportion also. However, an organized person is more likely to enjoy a work-life balance. How he/she defines balance is beside the point; it’s the ability to enjoy pursuits away from the workplace that matter.

Breeds Confidence

Most adults know that energy, enthusiasm, determination and a positive attitude emanate from confidence. It may sound esoteric, but organized people often can control their work-life; their work-life doesn’t control them. Additionally, they often reap professional endorphins that can create an enchanting recursive benefit stream.

20 Organizational Skills that Every Smart Leader Needs

Now that you know the clout of having organizational skills, let’s take a look at the most crucial 20 organization skills. A leader can’t be a smart one without having these skills.

1. Time Management

Are you befriend with procrastination? If so, please desert it and make the best use of time.

Time management is the key to the success of a smart leader. That is to say; time management through scheduling schemes, conferences, and other tasks by formulating time blocks in calendars and maintaining a list of tasks will help to practice organization skills. Also, by prioritizing and focusing on specific tasks, managing things becomes simple and allows an ample opportunity for multitasking. Most importantly, seeing your schedule in front of your eyes, shows you exactly what days and times you can be more flexible to adapt to business needs, and at what times you are completely unavailable. You can make the best use of time by the following:

Save your decision-making muscles for important stuff
Consistent night and morning routine
Plan ahead thoroughly
Systematic approach
Focus and prioritize

2. Ability to Plan

Planning is the most effective tool in term of organizing, but we often lack behind when it comes to being able to plan onward. Again, low planning points towards disorganization, which could put more pressure on you.

Planning takes various styles, including dealing with time and how a project must advance. However, to make a difference, a smart leader has to take things one step further. You must also be acknowledged of the plans of others and how they fit into your approach if they are to make a difference. It becomes more critical when dealing with a multi-disciplinary team where inadequate planning can create problem in co-ordination. Although it is not always compulsory, a complete absence of planning will only ever lead to problems.

3. Scheduling

Having a schedule, and implementing it is known to be a useful tool for making you an organized, smart leader. Scheduling indicates that you have an awareness about your planning and monitoring. Moreover, it also shows you have a firm grip on what is being done and that there are no issues with balancing several projects. Because of scheduling, your understanding of the time taken for different aspects become more precise. It helps you to keep control of a task as well as coping with problems.

To illustrate, you can use Google Calendar for scheduling– it is simple to use, and there is an option to sync scheduled meetings with the calendar which make it more convenient and accessible at any time.

4. Resources Organization

It’s essential to get the most out of your resources, and it also requires organization. Even it is vital to know when to use those resources so that you can prevent them from being exhausted or used at inappropriate times and place. To clarify, in this sense, the organization indicates being aware of the available resources that you may call upon with a project. You should also need to link the right help to the correct requirement to ensure it fits into their abilities. Besides, failure in this term is the sign of wasted resources, and this will not reflect well on you.

However, to ensure resource organization, you should identify resources which are relevant to your task or project before starting it. It prevents you from scrambling around searching for help when you need it the most.

5. Documentation

Documentation is the piece of writing that bears the original, official, or legal form of something and can be used to furnish decisive evidence or information. You can save the information in a folder in your computer or print em all.

Documentation is crucial to track the progress in addressing thought patterns and unhealthy behaviours. If you aren’t utilizing this tool, it will prove to be very difficult to make continual progress on any one area, let alone multiple areas. So your desire to become a smart leader won’t fulfil without having this organizational skill.

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6. Physical Organization

The physical organization is not just keeping a desk clean and tidy, and it involves the layout of rooms, floors, and complete buildings. Besides, it goes well beyond maintaining a neat appearance. However, a poorly organized space directs to physical discomfort, misuse of time, lost gadgets, and even lost selves. Additionally, the workspace impacts significantly on the people who work in it. So, a smart leader always keeps his/her workstation neat and clean and organize it in a simple yet organized manner.

7. Delegation

A delegation is a form of art, and not everyone has mastered it. An effective leader also understands its importance for a project to run smoothly. However, it’s impossible to handle each aspect of a project yourself, and that is where delegating tasks can help. Being aware of who is best for a particular job prevents that overwhelmed feeling which will free you to oversee each aspect of the project. An organized leader will know their team and be aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

Being acquainted in advance means you will not stress when a problem arises as you know who to call for help. Thanks to the organization, your team will work more efficiently and complete each task with less stress on your shoulders.

8. Teamwork

On a well-organized team, every member has to play a different role, and tasks are assigned accordingly. Creating the organizational structure of a new team is a skilled accomplishment, but so is giving and accepting appropriate delegation, following directions, and communicating clearly with the right people. Well-organized people understand and maintain the structures of the teams of which they are apart.

9. Priorities Management

The capability of prioritizing things will make you smarter as a team leader. Creating a to-do list and understanding which deadlines come first then leads to better planning as well as less stress. As your experience builds, you become more confident at knowing which tasks are the most important. Disorganized individuals tend to cope haphazardly and deal with things as they arise. It’s incorrect as you put energy into the wrong areas, and the most important things fall by the wayside. Prioritization keeps you on track with the order in which you need to complete something. For this, you must be aware of the tasks at hand and the process for each one. Check deadlines and other pressing details in advance to allow you to be better organized.

You can check the following procedures to prioritize better:

Leverage your work
Determine the value of a task or action
Reduce time expenditure
Start with the proper and specific intention
Quantity of your tasks

10. Cooperation and Collaboration

The correct collaboration can make your work more effective. An organized leader is conscious of those individuals that may be the best person for a particular task. Organizing leaves you in a position of searching for help when it should be plain sailing. Moreover, it is the skill of knowing in advance with which you can call upon to make a project run smoothly. Also, it involves other leaders of various departments, so working in harmony is vital. With this skill, you’ll be aware of who you may need to collaborate with before the need arises. Besides, you can do your research and know who to call upon at any point. It allows you to then cope with any problem in a relaxed and efficient manner.

11. Institute Targets and Goals

An organized individual will find it more natural to establish goals and targets and then achieve them. A smart leader can exhibit others that they can set goals, work towards them and eventually accomplish them. You can do this only by the organization. Moreover, being unaware of the route, you can never touch the apex of your target. To achieve success, you have to understand and perform the necessary actions. The organization also helps you to identify each step and any problems connected to it. Here, you must specify the target or goal at the earliest opportunity and then bring forward the other organizational skills that I have mentioned.

12. Maintaining Efficiency

Organization and efficiency go hand in hand. Efficiency leads to the need for planning to make your works run smoother. Moreover, it lessens the problems you encounter and makes everybody happier. Being efficient also acknowledges you where you are in a project at any particular moment. Besides, having organized things to such an extent that you can counteract problems before facing them.

Treasure that efficiency and your ability to identify issues work in harmony. If you fail to be organized, then this can’t happen. To conquer this forte, you have to set aside time for individual project and fracture it down into distinct segments. Thus, by understanding each part, you can identify which part need to refurbish and to whom you may handover it. Finally, as a smart leader, you’ll identify problems and know how to resolve them to allow in such a way that everything can run like clockwork.

13. Clear Communication

An influential leader requires to communicate clearly at all times. And your organizational skills will make it easier for you to convey. Thanks to these skills, you regularly know what is happening and can interpret any issues.

You are also able to communicate what you need because you are organized and know the status quo at that point. Additionally, getting things to start is easier for you due to your ability to put things across comfortably and concisely. To have good communication, you have to be confident in your abilities as a leader. If you use the different skills discussed above, you will notice greater confidence in your voice which then has a positive influence on the rest of the team.

14. Leading People

Leaders should distinguish the intensities of each individual, empowering subordinates and delegating responsibilities accordingly. Nourishing a communication-rich atmosphere and implementing opportunities for employees to succeed are among the skills every business wants.

15. Strategic Decision Making

As a smart leader, your decisions must reflect the best interests of a company’s short-term and long-term goals. However, ideally, leaders take time to weigh options, consider consequences and stand by their decisions. A strategic decision-maker may rely on team members and others with specific expertise to help support their findings, using the resources available to make choices in the best interest of the business.

16. Conflict Management

Leaders need to manage conflict in the workplace, which can be a challenging task in some industries. Resolving conflict is about weighing the priorities of the parties involved, deciding the situation, and learning from the experience as a whole.

However, efficient conflict management is not only a reputed skill but also a cost-saving measure. To a greater extent, conflicts can lead to high employee turnover, which is a financial burden for a business.

17. Participative Management

Companies don’t hire leaders who rule from afar and hand down decisions without collaboration. Moreover, progressive business models show participative management, where employees are involved in the decision-making process, can significantly benefit a business. By being included in the planning, design, and execution phases of a company, employees are more motivated, productive and creatively fulfilled.

18. Multi-tasking

We all multitask all the time without even thinking twice. To clarify, writing an email and responding a co-worker’s question, checking a text while watching TV, exercising while listening to music, and so on.

However, in the workplace, managing one project or person at a time would be ideal, but it is not standard. Being able to balance multiple tasks and complete all of them efficiently and effectively is a necessary skill for leadership organization.

19. Networking

Today’s smart leader must have the skill of networking. Networking is the exchange of information and ideas among people with a common profession or particular interest, usually in an informal social setting. Networking often begins with a single point of common ground. Widen their circles of acquaintances, find out about job opportunities, and to increase their awareness of news and trends in their fields.

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20. Integrity

I believe success in any business lies in integrity. The leader is the person who can act as an idle for his/her co-workers or employees. If you practice integrity in your business as well as personal life, you’ll have a tremendous positive impact on the people working under you. Thus organizing a team that reflects honesty will definitely lead your company towards the peak of success.

How to Develop Organizational Skills

For becoming a great leader, it is essential to build organizational skills and gradually apply them to your work routine over time. Once this is done, you may notice an increase in efficiency throughout your projects and performance. Here are a few ways to develop these organizational skills to use regularly.

Create a clean workspace
Identify goals to meet
Build a to-do list
Prioritize each task
Input tasks into a schedule
Organize your materials
Reward yourself regularly
Maintain a healthy work-life balance

Great Leaders of The United Kingdom

The British Empire was once upon a time the largest empire in history and for over a century, was the foremost global power. At this stage, let’s take a look at some British leaders and get some essence from history.

Alfred the Great (849–99)

This Anglo Saxon king is the father of England. He was a great military ruler, and as King of Wessex, he saw off the Vikings against all the odds. Alfred was far-sighted and started the codification of the English legal system. Altogether, he was an extraordinary man who began the movement to a more integrated British Isles.

William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

To me, he is a man of history and one of the most powerful human beings that has ever lived. He is the finest writer of English and probably the most excellent wordsmith in history. If you are going to talk about the English language – or even just language – you have to talk about Shakespeare, and he is one of the greatest leaders of English literature.

Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

He is a significant figure in the scientific revolution and built the foundations of modern science. Newton invented the calculus and established laws of motion and laws of universal gravity.

Adam Smith (1723-90)

He was an 18th-century Scottish economist, philosopher, and author, and is regarded as the father of modern economics and famous for his 1776 book, The Wealth of Nations. His ideas helped to bring about reform and practices in Britain and helped turn the nation into the largest economy in the world.

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603)

She is also the first of three queens not born to rule but great monarchs. She escaped the disgrace of her mother, Queen Anne Boleyn then survived the politically dangerous reigns of her brother, King Edward VI, and her sister Queen Mary. Eventually inheriting the throne herself, she began a powerful ruler and a charismatic queen.

Final Note

To encapsulate, a smart leader needs to adapt organizational skills like time management, scheduling, prioritizing, planning, documentation, physical organization, etc. Developing these skills is essential to enhance focus, efficiency and productivity. Organizational skills also ensure goal achievement without giving you much stress.

In this blog, I intend to discuss all aspects of organizational skills thoroughly. Besides, I’ve illustrated a few examples of Britons from different parts of history to motivate you. I hope this blog will help towards becoming a smart leader.

Thank you for staying this long.
Adios!